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Smoking meats - opinions on wood pellet brands

Tomhusker

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I made a modification to my propane smoker so I could get away from using wood chips. I got tired of having to add chips every hour or so. Now I can run 10-16 hours without having to reload the pellet maze.
I'm currently using traeger pellets , and will be picking up a couple of bags of bear mountain pellets tomorrow.
Anybody else use pellets? What brand do you prefer?
 

outofyourmind

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Never used pellets.
But if I wanted to start it and walk away for hours at a time, that's what I'd use.

I have an offset smoker, and a charcoal maze, which helps, but you can't walk away all night or anything.
 

Tomhusker

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Never used pellets.
But if I wanted to start it and walk away for hours at a time, that's what I'd use.

I have an offset smoker, and a charcoal maze, which helps, but you can't walk away all night or anything.
I catch a lot of grief from my cousin, an ardent offset smoker guy. He thinks anything but offset smoking, using wood, is cheating.
I'm way too lazy to do that much work, but I love me some smoked meats and cheese.
 

outofyourmind

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I catch a lot of grief from my cousin, an ardent offset smoker guy. He thinks anything but offset smoking, using wood, is cheating.
I'm way too lazy to do that much work, but I love me some smoked meats and cheese.



I love the offset. But it's something you stand around drinking beer and fucking with it.

If you want to leave it alone for an hour or two or three, you have to go with the pellet type. The pellets are real wood anyway. It's probably my next type of smoker.
 

Cobrabit

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I use the A-Maze-N 5x8 maze with their Pitmasters choice pellets blend which has cherry, hickory, and maple. A really nice smell and taste. Haven't tried other brands, but would recommend this setup for those that have an electric smoker like me to avoid having to reload chips every 40 minutes.

https://amazenproducts.com
 

mcnabb7542

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I catch a lot of grief from my cousin, an ardent offset smoker guy. He thinks anything but offset smoking, using wood, is cheating.
I'm way too lazy to do that much work, but I love me some smoked meats and cheese.

I'm like your cousin, I tease my buddies about their pellets.
I've thought about getting a pellet for the winter times, ( its cold as hell sitting out there stoking my offset)
 

mcnabb7542

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I love the offset. But it's something you stand around drinking beer and fucking with it.

If you want to leave it alone for an hour or two or three, you have to go with the pellet type. The pellets are real wood anyway. It's probably my next type of smoker.

You make it sound like that's a bad thing!
At least the family leaves you alone while doing it, I mean they track you down in the bathroom but for some reason they leave me alone when I being one with my smoker
 

Tomhusker

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I'm like your cousin, I tease my buddies about their pellets.
I've thought about getting a pellet for the winter times, ( its cold as hell sitting out there stoking my offset)
To be clear, I only use the pellets for smoke. I do not have a pellet smoker. I have a propane smoker that I modified.
I know, not much better, but it is a distinct difference.
Also, once it gets below freezing I only cold smoke bacon and cheese. Cold weather is for ice fishing.
 

Fog

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To be clear, I only use the pellets for smoke. I do not have a pellet smoker. I have a propane smoker that I modified.
I know, not much better, but it is a distinct difference.
Also, once it gets below freezing I only cold smoke bacon and cheese. Cold weather is for ice fishing.

I go between Apple, Hickory and Mesquite.

Apple is a mild sweet smoke

Hickory is a medium flavorful smoke

Mesquite is a bold smoke

When I do bacon I'll switch between Apple and Hickory

When I do Pork Ribs, Hickory or Mesquite.

I don't do a bunch of beef but Mesquite or Cherry is what I would use.
 

Tomhusker

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I go between Apple, Hickory and Mesquite.

Apple is a mild sweet smoke

Hickory is a medium flavorful smoke

Mesquite is a bold smoke

When I do bacon I'll switch between Apple and Hickory

When I do Pork Ribs, Hickory or Mesquite.

I don't do a bunch of beef but Mesquite or Cherry is what I would use.
I use more hickory than anything. Tried the sweet woods, but they did nothing for me. I always keep hickory, mesquite and a gourmet blend on hand.
I don't do much beef either. When I do I use mesquite. I want to do some beef ribs, but it's so hard to find them and they are crazy expensive when I do.
 

Fog

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I use more hickory than anything. Tried the sweet woods, but they did nothing for me. I always keep hickory, mesquite and a gourmet blend on hand.
I don't do much beef either. When I do I use mesquite. I want to do some beef ribs, but it's so hard to find them and they are crazy expensive when I do.

The sweet woods aren't so sweet when we over smoke the items we are smoker....

If I don't use a rub on the meat the smoke will play more of a roll.

I know when I do bacon I can tell the difference between the apple wood and the hickory only because it's a brine instead of a rub.

Overall if you use a rub on the meat you're smoking the type of pellets doesn't matter....

If you don't use a rub, you'll notice the difference with the type of pellets.
 

Tomhusker

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The sweet woods aren't so sweet when we over smoke the items we are smoker....

If I don't use a rub on the meat the smoke will play more of a roll.

I know when I do bacon I can tell the difference between the apple wood and the hickory only because it's a brine instead of a rub.

Overall if you use a rub on the meat you're smoking the type of pellets doesn't matter....

If you don't use a rub, you'll notice the difference with the type of pellets.

I rarely use more than salt & pepper. However, when I do use a rub I can still tell a difference in the pellets I use.

When smoking bacon, I tend to over smoke it on purpose. I really like the smoke flavor in bacon.
What brine do you use for your bacon? I've tried both wet and dry curing my bacon and prefer the dry cure. I use the wet cure when curing hams. I use Pop's brine recipe. I reduce the amount of sugar in it as I don't like my hams sweet.
 

wings-pens2166

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I love the offset. But it's something you stand around drinking beer and fucking with it.

If you want to leave it alone for an hour or two or three, you have to go with the pellet type. The pellets are real wood anyway. It's probably my next type of smoker.
I have a Traeger and I know many don’t consider that real smoking or whatever. But it works for me. It’s pretty much idiot proof (needed for me) and as you say I can set it and walk away for hours at a time. I just don’t have the patience for the attention a traditional smoker requires.
 

DHoey

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Legit pellets here, no fluff.
 

FaCe-LeE-uS

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This... Cheap & effective.
  • Gourmet Blend of Maple, Hickory and Cherry
Can get it at Costco for around $20.

imageService
 

fknhippie

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To be clear, I only use the pellets for smoke. I do not have a pellet smoker. I have a propane smoker that I modified.
I know, not much better, but it is a distinct difference.
Also, once it gets below freezing I only cold smoke bacon and cheese. Cold weather is for ice fishing.
When i use the off set smoker, I just toss in a big chunk of wood that will last a couple of hours.
 

Tomhusker

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When i use the off set smoker, I just toss in a big chunk of wood that will last a couple of hours.
I'd like to learn to use an offset smoker. I'm just not to sure about finding a reliable source of wood.
 

fknhippie

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I'd like to learn to use an offset smoker. I'm just not to sure about finding a reliable source of wood.
I have apple, maple, and pear trees. If i trim one of the trees I save the wood, if I'm out i go lop of a dead branch from one of them and use that.
 

fknhippie

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I'd like to learn to use an offset smoker. I'm just not to sure about finding a reliable source of wood.
I'm getting to where i prefer an electric to the offset just because on convenience. I like to toss something in, go golfing and when i get back dinner is ready.
 
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